Posts Tagged ‘Glen Zediker’

When something goes wrong and the rifle won’t fire, the first question should always be, “What changed?” Before answering that, we have to determine—or at least I determine—whether we’re talking about a “fresh” rifle going through its shakedown period, or a (previously) trusted gun that’s suddenly decided to stop running. If it’s the first scenario, there’s a longer list of possibilities that include original parts, conditions, and installation quality. This article will focus on the previously-functioning rifle that’s taken a vacation from operation.

We’ve chosen the sometimes twisting path to becoming handloaders because we want to improve on-target results. The difference between a handloader and a reloader? My wise-crack answer, which is honest, is that handloaders start with new brass… We’re not about to shoot factory ammo.

Don’t short-change a short gun! When you spec a carbine, think about shooting it! Simple? Yes. But don’t adapt to the carbine; make it adapt to you. Here are a few thoughts on how to get the most utility from your carbine.

Bear with me! We’ll get started on the process of handloading next time when I talk about setting up a sizing die. But before that, it’s good to keep in mind what we’re dealing with, and that is a cartridge case, and also what happens to it during firing, which is what we’re setting out to remedy when we reuse it.

In my reloading article for The Shooter’s Log, I gave a caution about respecting one of the differences between semi-auto and bolt-action rifles, and that was with respect to propellant burn rates. The summary reason for the warning is that different rate propellants will “peak” at different areas as

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The following is a specially adapted excerpt from “The Competitive AR15: Builders Guide” and “The Competitive AR15: Ultimate Technical Guide,” books by Glen Zediker and Zediker Publishing. For more information, visit www.ZedikerPublishing.com or call (662) 473-6107.

The AR-15’s bolt and carrier are the heart of the rifle, so knowing the ins and outs of the bolt carrier — weight, platings and coatings, firing-pin hole size and bolt choices — can make your AR run more smoothly and reliably.